Helmar Lerski Sold at Auction Prices

Photographer, b. 1871 - d. 1956

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      • HELMAR LERSKI* (Strasbourg 1871 - 1956 Zurich)
        Nov. 28, 2024

        HELMAR LERSKI* (Strasbourg 1871 - 1956 Zurich)

        Est: €150 - €300

        HELMAR LERSKI* (Strasbourg 1871 - 1956 Zurich) Portrait F. Schwarz-Waldegg vintage photography 24 x 16,8 cm stamped Lerski verso mounted further portrait photography SCHÄTZPREIS / ESTIMATE °€ 150 - 300 STARTPREIS / STARTING PRICE °€ 150 Helmar (also: Hjalmar) Lerski, actually Israel Schmuklerski, was a Swiss photographer, cameraman and film director. In 1893, Schmulerski traveled to the United States and appeared as an actor in Chicago, Milwaukee and New York City. In 1910, he set up a photo studio in Milwaukee with his wife Emilie. He quickly made a name for himself as an innovative portrait photographer. In 1914/15, he taught as a guest lecturer for German language and literature at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1915, Lerski returned to Europe and became a cameraman and photographer in Berlin. He was entrusted with technically demanding tasks such as Paul Leni's "The Wax Museum". Lerski was technical manager for Schüfftan photography at Deutsche Spiegeltechnik GmbH & Co from 1925 to 1927, which was used for Fritz Lang's "Metropolis". In 1925, he worked for Arnold Fanck on his film "The Holy Mountain" as a cameraman alongside Sepp Allgeier and Hans Schneeberger with actors such as Leni Riefenstahl and Luis Trenker. From 1929 he worked again as a portrait photographer. In 1931 and 1932, he travelled to Palestine to take pictures of Jewish settlers. After the Nazis came to power, he remained in Palestine. Lerski's photo series "Metamorphoses", published in 1982, was created in 1936. In addition to photos, Lerski also created short documentaries that he directed himself. In 1937/38l he travelled to France and England to present his works. From 1939 to 1941l he headed the film department of the Jewish union Histadrut. From 1945 to 1947, Lerski created the puppet film “Baalam’s Story.” Helmar Lerski's last film "Adamah" (= Earth) from 1948 tells the story of the arrival and settling in of the young Holocaust survivor Benjamin in the children's and youth village of Ben Shemen. In 1948, Lerski returned to Zurich. At the age of 17, the Austrian painter Fritz Schwarz-Waldegg (Friedrich Schwarz) attended David Kohn's painting school at the age of seventeen, and he converted to Catholicism. He received his further training at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts under Chrtian Griepenkerl and Rudolf Bacher. He met Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka early on. Schwarz-Waldegg became a member of the Vienna Hagenbund. Schwarz-Waldegg was its president from 1925 to 1927. After the "Anschluss", Austria's 1938 annexation to Germany, he was banned from any artistic activity. He had to vacate his studio; many of his works are lost. In 1942, Schwarz-Waldegg was taken from his sister's apartment and taken to a collection camp. He was murdered in the Maly Trostenets or Sobibor extermination camp. In addition to Max van Dam from Amsterdam, who made portraits of the SS men, and Alfred Friedberg from Frankfurt, who painted still lifes and flower arrangements, Schwarz-Waldegg was forced to do artistic work in the camp. Schwarz-Waldegg is one of the most important representatives and pioneers of Austrian Expressionism after 1918. PLEASE NOTE: The purchase price consists of the highest bid plus the buyer's premium, sales tax and, if applicable, the fee of artists resale rights. In the case of normal taxation (marked ° at the estimate), a premium of 24% is added to the highest bid. The mandatory sales tax is added to the sum of the highest bid and the buyer's premium. This amounts to 13% for paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures and 20% for photographs and all other items. The buyer's premium amounts to 28% in case of differential taxation. The sales tax is included in the differential taxation.

        Widder Auctions
      • Metamorphosis, 526
        Oct. 25, 2023

        Metamorphosis, 526

        Est: $5,000 - $7,000

        Helmar Lerski 1871 - 1956 Metamorphosis, 526  gelatin silver print, framed, 1935-36 image: 11⅜ by 9 in. (28.9 by 22.9 cm.) frame: 21 by 17 in. (53.3 by 43.2 cm.)

        Sotheby's
      • Metamorphosis, 595
        Oct. 25, 2023

        Metamorphosis, 595

        Est: $5,000 - $7,000

        Helmar Lerski 1871 - 1956 Metamorphosis, 595 gelatin silver print, titled in pencil and with the photographer's Tel Aviv copyright/credit stamp on the reverse, framed, 1936 image: 11⅝ by 9⅛ in. (29.6 by 23.3 cm.) frame: 21 by 16⅞ in. (53.3 by 43 cm.)

        Sotheby's
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Architect
        Dec. 07, 2022

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Architect

        Est: €1,200 - €2,200

        Unidentified signature and annotation in English (on the reverse) Gelatin silver print circa 1940s. 29 х 24 cm Provenance: Private collection, Israel With his sculptural faces and his highly innovative work on light, Helmar Lerski (1871 - 1956) is one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century. Born in Strasbourg, he pursued a career as a theatre actor in the United States before devoting himself to photography from the 1910s. In Berlin in 1915, he became a renowned cinematographer and a specialist in special effects. From then on, his photographic work, which made virtuoso use of his mastery of light, combined an aesthetic inherited from expressionist cinema with the most daring experiments of the «New Vision». Fleeing Nazism, Lerski settled in Palestine in 1932, leaving an exceptional record of the kibbutz and the pioneers, as well as of the Jewish soldiers in the British army. Deeply humanistic, his series «Arabs and Jews» is a manifesto of tolerance, and his «Metamorphoses by Light» an original exploration of the expressive power of a face.

        Hermitage Fine Art
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Painter
        Dec. 07, 2022

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Painter

        Est: €1,200 - €2,200

        Unidentified signature and annotation in English (on the reverse) Gelatin silver print circa 1940s. 26 х 24 cm Provenance: Private collection, Israel With his sculptural faces and his highly innovative work on light, Helmar Lerski (1871 - 1956) is one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century. Born in Strasbourg, he pursued a career as a theatre actor in the United States before devoting himself to photography from the 1910s. In Berlin in 1915, he became a renowned cinematographer and a specialist in special effects. From then on, his photographic work, which made virtuoso use of his mastery of light, combined an aesthetic inherited from expressionist cinema with the most daring experiments of the «New Vision». Fleeing Nazism, Lerski settled in Palestine in 1932, leaving an exceptional record of the kibbutz and the pioneers, as well as of the Jewish soldiers in the British army. Deeply humanistic, his series «Arabs and Jews» is a manifesto of tolerance, and his «Metamorphoses by Light» an original exploration of the expressive power of a face.

        Hermitage Fine Art
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871–1956)
        Nov. 19, 2022

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871–1956)

        Est: €600 - €800

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871–1956) | Hands with film roll, from the series ‘Hände’, Tel Aviv 1944 Image Size: 21,5 x 19,7 cm English: Gelatin silver print, printed in the 1960s on double-weight matte tinted paper, in excellent condition. Photographers handwritten name in two handwritings, title and date in pencil on the reverse Deutsch: Gelatinesilberabzug, geprintet in den 1960er Jahren auf "double-weight", braun-getöntem mattem Papier, in ausgezeichnetem Zustand. Name des Fotografen in zwei Handschriften, Titel und Datum mit Bleistift auf der Rückseite

        OstLicht Auctions
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871–1956)
        Nov. 19, 2022

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871–1956)

        Est: €1,200 - €1,400

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871–1956) | Photographer and #600 from the series ‘Metamorphosis through Light’, Tel Aviv 1936 Image Size: 22 x 16,4 / 19,3 x 16,2 cm English: 2 Gelatin silver prints, printed in the 1960s on double-weight matte paper, in excellent condition At the beginning of 1936, Helmar Lerski started a new portraiture series. His model was a Jewish worker, who Lerski called ‘Uschatz’. In the next three months he produced 175 images of the man remembered as a jack of all trades in Lerski’s office. Working on the rooftop terrace of Lerski’s flat in Tel Aviv in the bright morning sun, Lerski continually directed the light towards his model’s face, using a great number of mirrors. Designated by Lerski as his magnum opus, ‘Metamorphosis through Light’ was to “furnish proof, that a photographer can create freely, following his mind’s eye, like a painter, or sculpture.” Deutsch: 2 Gelatinesilberabzüge, geprintet in den 1960er Jahren auf "double-weight" mattem Papier, in ausgezeichnetem Zustand, Bildgrößen 22 x 16,4 / 19,3 x 16,2 cm Anfang 1936 begann Helmar Lerski eine neue Porträtserie. Sein Modell war ein jüdischer Arbeiter, den Lerski "Uschatz" nannte. In den nächsten drei Monaten entstehen 175 Bilder des Mannes, der in Lerskis Büro als Tausendsassa in Erinnerung geblieben ist. Bei der Arbeit auf der Dachterrasse von Lerskis Wohnung in Tel Aviv in der hellen Morgensonne lenkte Lerski das Licht mit Hilfe zahlreicher Spiegel ständig auf das Gesicht seines Modells. Die von Lerski als sein Hauptwerk bezeichnete "Metamorphose durch Licht" sollte "den Beweis erbringen, dass ein Fotograf frei schaffen kann, indem er seinem geistigen Auge folgt, wie ein Maler oder ein Bildhauer."

        OstLicht Auctions
      • Helmar Lerski (attribuito_a) (1871-1956) - Hands of Musican, 1940s
        Jun. 23, 2022

        Helmar Lerski (attribuito_a) (1871-1956) - Hands of Musican, 1940s

        Est: €1,200 - €1,800

        Vintage gelatin silver print This lot is subject to Artists Resale Rights

        Finarte
      • Lerski, Helmar: Fisherman
        Jun. 08, 2022

        Lerski, Helmar: Fisherman

        Est: €600 - €900

        Fisherman. 1930-1944. Vintage warm-toned gelatin silver print. 29,5 x 23 cm. Signed by the photographer in ink in lower left, lower area cropped with paint. - - Helmar Lerski was born in Straßburg, emigrated to the United States in 1893, but later returned to Europe. In 1928, he began concentrating on portrait photography, eventually completing a project he titled "Köpfe des Alltags" (Everyday Faces). He visited Palestine in 1931 where he took portraits of Jewish settlers and Arabian residents. During his second visit to Palestine the National Socialist takeover in Germany occurred, making it impossible for him to return. – Some mirroring and time-stained in edges, traces of previous mounting on the verso, pinholes in lower left and upper right corners, otherwise in good condition. - - Sollten Sie detailliertere Zustandsberichte wünschen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte. / Should you need more detailed condition reports, please contact us.

        Bassenge Auctions
      • Helmar Lerski, 1871-1956
        Mar. 23, 2022

        Helmar Lerski, 1871-1956

        Est: €1,400 - €3,000

        Helmar Lerski, 1871-1956 Porträt Luis Trenker, 1925, Vintage print In: Der Heilige Berg, Regie Arnold Fanck (1889-1974) Mit diesem Motiv eröffnete DAS DEUTSCHE LICHTBILD 1927 die Reihe seiner Jahresschauen: Die allererste Fotografie Reprod. in: Das Deutsche Lichtbild 1927, Tafel 1, Variante, Urhebervermerk Dr. Arnold Fanck Die Kamera in Der heilige Berg führten Hans Schneeberger, Sepp Allgeier und Helmar Lerski, dem das hier vorliegende Porträt mit an Sicherheit grenzender Wahrscheinlichkeit zuzuschreiben ist Verso von älterer Hand bezeichnet und datiert (1925): »L. Trenker im Schneesturm – Gesicht vereist«, sowie Vermaßung und Redaktionsstempel TV-Fernsehwoche, im Negativ unten links Nummer 38 Provenienz: Nachlaß Arnold Fanck 23,8:29,2 cm DAS DEUTSCHE LICHTBILD 1927-1938 und 1955-1978 – Information zu diesem Katalog DAS DEUTSCHE LICHTBILD: eine Vorkriegs- und eine Nachkriegsgeschichte mit 16 Jahren Unterbrechung, die Perioden 1927-1938 und 1955-1978. Die Herausgeber: Bruno Schultz (ca. 1890-nach 1944), dann Wolf Strache (1910-2001), ab 1960 gemeinsam mit Otto Steinert (1915-1978). Für den gesamten Zeitraum ist dem Deutschen Lichtbild nachzusagen, daß es kompetenter Begleiter und Zeuge der Zeiten gewesen ist, die es im Bild fokussiert hat. Dem Deutschen Lichtbild ab Jahresschau 1934 wäre einiges vorzuhalten, auch seinem Herausgeber Bruno Schultz. Doch darum kann es uns nicht gehen, wenn wir nach den Bildmotiven in fotografischen Originalwerken suchen, möglichst in authentischen Vergrößerungen aus ihrer Zeit, die sie dargestellt haben. Fritz Kempe, in der letzten Jahresschau (1979): »… ist das Deutsche Lichtbild ein Seismograf der Fotografie und der Zeit, in der sie entsteht. Irrtümer vorbehalten, dürfen wir ihm bescheinigen, daß es diese Doppelaufgabe hervorragend bewältigt hat«, anfangs auch mit seperatem Textdruck in englisch: »The German Annuel of Photography 1928/29« Die Suche nach originalen Bildbelegen war langwierig und wirklich erfolgreich nur für die Jahrgänge von Periode II, gefüttert mit Aufschwung und Erneuerung der Nachkriegszeit, bei Erscheinen des ersten Bandes dieser neuen Folge schon gefestigt mit Ansprüchen ans Lichtbild, nicht allein an das deutsche. Ins Lichtspiel kamen neovisuelle Bewegungen wie fotoform und subjektive fotografie, die sich mit Elan in die Zeitlücke warfen, die zwischen den beiden Perioden der fotografischen Jahresschau entstanden und somit unerledigt war – Anschluß gleichnishaft an Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, der dem Deutschen Lichtbild das Einbandsignet (weißer und schwarzer Stab, versetzt) entworfen hatte, über alle Zeiten hinweg für die grauen Leinenbände als Markierung der Kontinuität beibehalten Mit Otto Steinert ging über dem Deutschen Lichtbild wieder einmal die Sonne auf; ab 1960 brachte der Essener Fotografieprofessor sich als Mitherausgeber der jährlichen Bildanthologie ein, in Begleitung eines talentierten und zeitorientierten Nachwuchses: 1960 waren erst vier Steinert-Schüler mit Werken im Deutschen Lichtbild vertreten, im letzten Band 1979 waren es mehr als ein Dutzend. Sie arbeiteten an dem fotografischen Bild ihrer Zeit, engagiert, verbindlich und mit Umsetzung des Erreichbaren. Im Resultat war das überzeugend genug, um den sachlichen Beititel des Deutschen Lichtbildes von Jahresschau auf Jahrbuch für Schöpferische Fotografie hochzukomplimentieren, in: Zeitprofile, 30 Jahre Kulturpreis Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie 1959-1988, erschienen zur photokina Köln, 1988, Seite 71. Ebenda, Seite 70: »Nirgendwo sonst erhält man einen deutlicheren Einblick, eine vollständigere Dokumentation über die deutsche Lichtbildnerei seit der Nachkriegszeit« Die Fotografien im vorliegenden Katalog sind chronologisch nach ihrer Reproduktion in Das Deutsche Lichtbild geordnet, dort in den Vorkriegsjahrgängen von technischen Daten begleitet, in den Jahrgängen ab 1955 von ausführlichen Erläuterungen und Kommentaren, »wofür man Wolf Strache gar nicht genug danken kann« (F. Kempe). Meistens sind es die Fotografen selbst, die ihren Bildern erklärende Texte zu Entstehung und Bedeutung beigegeben haben. Mit dieser authentischen Deutung erschließen sich die Bildbeiträge aus Das Deutsche Lichtbild in einzigartiger Weise ihrem Betrachter. Da diese begleitenden Texte dort nachschlagbar sind, brauchten sie in unserem Katalog nicht wiederholt zu werden Was uns aus Archiven und Sammlungen an Motiven in Originalfotografien zugekommen ist, illustriert die Bedeutung des Deutschen Lichtbildes unter allen Aspekten, und wenn von Kunst in diesem Beitrag noch nicht die Rede gewesen ist, muß dieser Begriff hiermit nachgereicht sein. Zur Ergänzung und weiteren Begründung sei auf die Chronik zum Deutschen Lichtbild verwiesen, die Fritz Kempe (1909-1988) zu verdanken ist: Seismograf und Tribunal, 25 Jahre Das Deutsche Lichtbild, in Das Deutsche Lichtbild 1979, S. 8ff. Vgl. auch P. Benteler, Deutsche Fotografie nach 1945, Kassel 1979, S. 13. H.-M. Koetzle, Das Lexikon der Fotografen, O. O. (2003), S. 146. Zur internationalen Resonanz: Fotografía Pública, Photography in Print 1919-1939, (Madrid 1999), S. 84 f (Abbildungen) – Mit Gesamtregister der Fotografen (im gedruckten Katalog).

        Schneider-Henn
      • Jewish Soldier – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Jewish Soldier – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Jewish Soldier, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). [1942]. 29X23.5 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes to edges. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Judischer Soldat aus Palastina, 1942". Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Portrait of a Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 29X23 cm. Good condition. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski XII" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Yemenite Woman – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Portrait of a Yemenite Woman – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Yemenite Woman, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). Signed on the image. 29X21 cm. Good condition. Minor creases and tears to margins. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski IV" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man with a Hammer – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Working Man with a Hammer – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man with a Hammer, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 24X30 cm. Good condition. Minor stains and blemishes (mostly to edges and verso). Minor silvering to edges. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Helmar Lerski". Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • A Bowl of Fruit – Three Photographs by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        A Bowl of Fruit – Three Photographs by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        A Bowl of Fruit, three photographs by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 30X24 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Captioned on verso in pencil: "Helmar Lerski" (in pencil). Penned inscription on verso of two photographs: "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man (Yarkon), photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. 16X14 cm. Mounted on thick paper. Good condition. Minor blemishes.. Stains to mount. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski XI" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2011. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 105 ("Yarkon 8b"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man (The Yarkon River) – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Working Man (The Yarkon River) – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man (The Yarkon River), photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. Signed on the image. 23X30 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2011. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 104 ("Yarkon"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Welder in Givat Brenner – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Welder in Givat Brenner – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Welder in Kibbutz Givat Brenner, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. Signed on the image. 23X29 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Industrielle Arbeit". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2011. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 120 ("Givat Brenner 8"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. 22X27 cm. Good condition. Stains and traces of mounting on verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Landwirtsch Arbeit". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2011. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 134. Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Dec. 21, 2021

        Portrait of a Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Man (Yarkon), photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. Signed on the image. 29X23.5 cm. Good condition. Silvering. Minor blemishes to edges. Stains and traces of mounting on verso. Captioned on verso in pencil: "13 Typen". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2011. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 103 ("Yarkon 10b"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) - Hands of painter…
        Nov. 26, 2021

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) - Hands of painter…

        Est: €1,800 - €2,500

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of painter Unidentified signature and annotation in English (on the reverse) Gelatin silver print circa 1940s. 26 х 24 cm Provenance: Private collection, Israel With his sculptural faces and his highly innovative work on light, Helmar Lerski (1871 - 1956) is one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century. Born in Strasbourg, he pursued a career as a theatre actor in the United States before devoting himself to photography from the 1910s. In Berlin in 1915, he became a renowned cinematographer and a specialist in special effects. From then on, his photographic work, which made virtuoso use of his mastery of light, combined an aesthetic inherited from expressionist cinema with the most daring experiments of the «New Vision». Fleeing Nazism, Lerski settled in Palestine in 1932, leaving an exceptional record of the kibbutz and the pioneers, as well as of the Jewish soldiers in the British army. Deeply humanistic, his series «Arabs and Jews» is a manifesto of tolerance, and his «Metamorphoses by Light» an original exploration of the expressive power of a face.

        Hermitage Fine Art
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) - Hands of architect…
        Nov. 26, 2021

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) - Hands of architect…

        Est: €1,800 - €2,500

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of architect Unidentified signature and annotation in English (on the reverse) Gelatin silver print circa 1940s. 29 х 24 cM Provenance: Private collection, Israel With his sculptural faces and his highly innovative work on light, Helmar Lerski (1871 - 1956) is one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century. Born in Strasbourg, he pursued a career as a theatre actor in the United States before devoting himself to photography from the 1910s. In Berlin in 1915, he became a renowned cinematographer and a specialist in special effects. From then on, his photographic work, which made virtuoso use of his mastery of light, combined an aesthetic inherited from expressionist cinema with the most daring experiments of the «New Vision». Fleeing Nazism, Lerski settled in Palestine in 1932, leaving an exceptional record of the kibbutz and the pioneers, as well as of the Jewish soldiers in the British army. Deeply humanistic, his series «Arabs and Jews» is a manifesto of tolerance, and his «Metamorphoses by Light» an original exploration of the expressive power of a face.

        Hermitage Fine Art
      • Lerski. – C. Glaser (Einl.).
        Sep. 21, 2021

        Lerski. – C. Glaser (Einl.).

        Est: €600 - €800

        Lerski. – C. Glaser (Einl.). Köpfe des Alltags. Unbekannte Menschen, gesehen von Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). Bln., Reckendorf, 1931. Gr.-4°. 8 Bll. 80 Tafeln. Olwd. mit Blindprägung, seltener Spiralbindung. Parr/Badger I, 130. Roth 68. Heidtmann 14620. Wiegand/Heidtman 124f.

        Schneider-Henn
      • A Bowl of Fruit – Three Photographs by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        A Bowl of Fruit – Three Photographs by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        A Bowl of Fruit, three photographs by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 30X24 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Captioned on verso in pencil: "Helmar Lerski" (in pencil). Penned inscription on verso of two photographs: "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Jewish Soldier - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Jewish Soldier - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Jewish Soldier, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). [1942]. 29X23.5 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes to edges. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Judischer Soldat aus Palastina, 1942". Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 29X23 cm. Good condition. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski XII" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Boy - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Boy - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Boy, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 24X18 cm. Mounted on thick paper (partially detached from mount). Good condition. Minor blemishes and traces of mounting to paper. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski VIII" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Young Man with Payot - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Young Man with Payot - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Young Man with Payot [sidelocks], photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 22X15 cm. Mounted on thick paper. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Minor silvering. Traces of mounting to paper. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski XIII" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Yemenite Woman - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Yemenite Woman - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Yemenite Woman, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). Signed on the image. 29X21 cm. Good condition. Minor creases and tears to margins. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski IV" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Yemenite Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Yemenite Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Yemenite Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 29X23 cm. Good condition. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski I" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of an Old Yemenite Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of an Old Yemenite Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of an Old Yemenite Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). [1930s]. 29X23.5 cm. Good condition. Foxing to verso. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski III" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Baghdadi Rabbi - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Baghdadi Rabbi - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Baghdadi Rabbi, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). Signed on the image. Photographer's stamps on verso. 9X23 cm. Good condition. Minor creases and tears to edges. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Rabbiner von Bagdad". Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Shoemaker / Portrait of a Woman – Two Photographs by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Shoemaker / Portrait of a Woman – Two Photographs by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Two photographs by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 1. Shoemaker. 12.5X17 cm. Good condition. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned on verso: "Copyright paid, Lerski". 2. Portrait of a Woman. 18X12.5 cm. Good condition. Stains. on verso: "Lerski" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Shoemaker - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Shoemaker - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Shoemaker, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 15X12.5 cm. Mounted on thick paper. Good condition. Stains. Minor abrasions and blemishes to mount. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski XV" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Working Man - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 13X14 cm. Mounted on thick paper. Good condition. Stains to mount. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski IX" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in ink). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man with a Hammer - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Working Man with a Hammer - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man with a Hammer, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956). 24X30 cm. Good condition. Minor stains and blemishes (mostly to edges and verso). Minor silvering to edges. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Helmar Lerski". Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Woman in Kibbutz Sarid - Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Woman in Kibbutz Sarid - Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Woman in Kibbutz Sarid, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. 23.5X18 cm. Good condition. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned in pen on verso: "Copyright paid, Lerski". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 55 ("Sarid 2"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man, Kibbutz Sarid – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Working Man, Kibbutz Sarid – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man, Kibbutz Sarid [Eliezer Pinchuk (Peleg)], photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. 14X10.5 cm. Mounted on thick paper. Good condition. Minor silvering. Stains, abrasions and creases to mount. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski X" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 42 ("Sarid 34"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. 22X27 cm. Good condition. Stains and traces of mounting on verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Landwirtsch Arbeit". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 134. Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Portrait of a Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Portrait of a Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Portrait of a Man (Yarkon), photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. Signed on the image. 29X23.5 cm. Good condition. Silvering. Minor blemishes to edges. Stains and traces of mounting on verso. Captioned on verso in pencil: "13 Typen". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 103 ("Yarkon 10b"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Working Man – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man (Yarkon), photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. 16X14 cm. Mounted on thick paper. Good condition. Stains to mount. Captioned on verso: "Helmar Lerski XI" (in pencil); "Copyright paid" (in pen). See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 105 ("Yarkon 8b"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Working Man (The Yarkon River) – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Working Man (The Yarkon River) – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Working Man (The Yarkon River), photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. Signed on the image. 23X30 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 104 ("Yarkon"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • Welder in Givat Brenner – Photograph by Helmar Lerski
        Jun. 29, 2021

        Welder in Givat Brenner – Photograph by Helmar Lerski

        Est: -

        Welder in Kibbutz Givat Brenner, photograph by Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), [1940s]. Signed on the image. 23X29 cm. Good condition. Minor stains. Stains and traces of mounting to verso. Captioned in pencil on verso: "Industrielle Arbeit". See: Helmar Lerski, Working Hands, Photographs from the 1940s, exhibition catalogue, Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Curator: Nissan N. Perez. Photographed on p. 120 ("Givat Brenner 8"). Helmar Lerski (1871-1956), cinematographer, photographer and theater actor; one of the most important photographers of pre-state Israel. Lerski grew up in Zurich. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Polish origin. In 1893 he immigrated to the United States, where he joined a theater group with which he toured the cities of the Unites States and Europe – Chicago, New York, Berlin, Zurich and elsewhere – for some twenty years. In 1910, after leaving the theater, Lerski opened a photography studio in Milwaukee. He started developing a new technique of photography with mirrors; his unique, dramatic play of light and shadow, became the hallmark of his work. In 1915 he returned to Europe, settling in Berlin, where he became involved in filmmaking (he was the cameraman on various films, including Fritz Lang's Metropolis, released in 1927). In the early 1930s, he immigrated to Palestine. His apartment in Tel-Aviv soon became a regular meeting place for the city's photographers, and in 1940 he was elected honorary president of the Palestine Professional Photographers Association (PPPA). In Palestine Lerski created several important series of expressionist photographs, using his unique technique: portraits of Jewish soldiers and of pioneers at work, studies of workers' hands, and more. He also directed the films "Avodah" ("Work", 1935), "Mangina Ivrit" ("Hebrew Melody", 1935), "Yaldei HaShemesh" ("Children of the Sun", 1939) and "Adamah" ("The Land", 1947).

        Kedem Public Auction House Ltd
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Painter
        Jun. 16, 2021

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Painter

        Est: €1,800 - €2,500

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Painter Unidentified signature and annotation in English (on the reverse) Gelatin silver print circa 1940s. 26 х 24 cm Provenance: Private collection, Israel With his sculptural faces and his highly innovative work on light, Helmar Lerski (1871 - 1956) is one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century. Born in Strasbourg, he pursued a career as a theatre actor in the United States before devoting himself to photography from the 1910s. In Berlin in 1915, he became a renowned cinematographer and a specialist in special effects. From then on, his photographic work, which made virtuoso use of his mastery of light, combined an aesthetic inherited from expressionist cinema with the most daring experiments of the «New Vision». Fleeing Nazism, Lerski settled in Palestine in 1932, leaving an exceptional record of the kibbutz and the pioneers, as well as of the Jewish soldiers in the British army. Deeply humanistic, his series «Arabs and Jews» is a manifesto of tolerance, and his «Metamorphoses by Light» an original exploration of the expressive power of a face. ХЕЛЬМАР ЛЕРСКИ (1871-1956) Руки художникаНеидентифицированная подпись и аннотация (на обороте) Желатиново-серебряный отпечаток 1940-ые гг. 26 х 24 см Провенанс: Частная коллекция, Израиль Благодаря своим скульптурным лицам и новаторской работе со светом, Хельмар Лерски (1871-1956) является одним из величайших портретистов 20-го века. Он родился в Страсбурге, сделал карьеру театрального актера в США, а в 1910-х годах посвятил себя фотографии. В Берлине в 1915 году он стал известным кинематографистом и специалистом по спецэффектам. С тех пор его фотоработы, в которых виртуозно использовалось мастерство владения светом, сочетали эстетику, унаследованную от экспрессионистского кино, с самыми смелыми экспериментами «нового видения». Спасаясь от нацизма, Лерски поселился в Палестине в 1932 году, оставив исключительные записи о кибуцах и пионерах, а также о еврейских солдатах британской армии. Его серия «Арабы и евреи», глубоко гуманистическая, является манифестом толерантности, а «Метаморфозы при свете» - оригинальным исследованием выразительной силы лица.

        Hermitage Fine Art
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Architect
        Jun. 16, 2021

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Architect

        Est: €1,800 - €2,500

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Hands of Architect Unidentified signature and annotation in English (on the reverse) Gelatin silver print circa 1940s. 29 х 24 cm Provenance: Private collection, Israel With his sculptural faces and his highly innovative work on light, Helmar Lerski (1871 - 1956) is one of the greatest portrait artists of the 20th century. Born in Strasbourg, he pursued a career as a theatre actor in the United States before devoting himself to photography from the 1910s. In Berlin in 1915, he became a renowned cinematographer and a specialist in special effects. From then on, his photographic work, which made virtuoso use of his mastery of light, combined an aesthetic inherited from expressionist cinema with the most daring experiments of the «New Vision». Fleeing Nazism, Lerski settled in Palestine in 1932, leaving an exceptional record of the kibbutz and the pioneers, as well as of the Jewish soldiers in the British army. Deeply humanistic, his series «Arabs and Jews» is a manifesto of tolerance, and his «Metamorphoses by Light» an original exploration of the expressive power of a face. ХЕЛЬМАР ЛЕРСКИ (1871-1956) Руки архитекторaНеидентифицированная подпись и аннотация (на обороте) Желатиново-серебряный отпечаток 1940-ые гг. 29 х 24 см Провенанс: Частная коллекция, Израиль Благодаря своим скульптурным лицам и новаторской работе со светом, Хельмар Лерски (1871-1956) является одним из величайших портретистов 20-го века. Он родился в Страсбурге, сделал карьеру театрального актера в США, а в 1910-х годах посвятил себя фотографии. В Берлине в 1915 году он стал известным кинематографистом и специалистом по спецэффектам. С тех пор его фотоработы, в которых виртуозно использовалось мастерство владения светом, сочетали эстетику, унаследованную от экспрессионистского кино, с самыми смелыми экспериментами «нового видения». Спасаясь от нацизма, Лерски поселился в Палестине в 1932 году, оставив исключительные записи о кибуцах и пионерах, а также о еврейских солдатах британской армии. Его серия «Арабы и евреи», глубоко гуманистическая, является манифестом толерантности, а «Метаморфозы при свете» - оригинальным исследованием выразительной силы лица.

        Hermitage Fine Art
      • Lerski, Helmar: From the series "Metamorphosis through Light"
        Dec. 02, 2020

        Lerski, Helmar: From the series "Metamorphosis through Light"

        Est: €350 - €500

        From the series "Metamorphosis through Light". 1936/printed 1982 from the original glass plate negative. Gelatin silver print. 26,6 x 21,5 cm. Annotated, signed and editioned 56/100 by the printer André Gelpke on the verso. From the collector's edition of Ute Eskildsen (ed.). Helmar Lerski: Verwandlungen durch Licht / Metamorphosis through Light. Freren 1982 in conjunction with the exhibition at Museum Folkwang, Essen. - - Helmar Lerski was born in Straßburg, emigrated to the United States in 1893 but later returned to Europe. In 1928 he began concentrating on portrait photography, eventually completing a project he titled "Köpfe des Alltags" (Everyday Faces). He visited Palestine in 1931 where he took portraits of Jewish settlers and Arabian residents. During his second visit to Palestine the Nazi takeover in Germany occurred, making it impossible for him to return. In the series "Metamorphosis through Light" (1936) Lerski took 175 images of a worker over a three month period and as he stated "solely with the help of light I created in him all the types in my mind's eye". – Minimal nicks in edges, otherwise a rich tonal print in very good condition. - - Lit.: Ute Eskildsen. Helmar Lerski, Lichtbildner. Essen 1982, ill. p. 110. - Florian Ebner. Metamorphosen des Gesichts. Die „Verwandlungen durch Licht“ von Helmar Lerski, Göttingen 2002, ill. p. 25, (Metamorphosis no. 555). - - Sollten Sie detailliertere Zustandsberichte wünschen, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte. / Should you need more detailed condition reports, please contact us.

        Bassenge Auctions
      • HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Head of a Bedouin * Head of a Tel-Aviv Vagabond.
        Oct. 22, 2020

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Head of a Bedouin * Head of a Tel-Aviv Vagabond.

        Est: $8,000 - $12,000

        HELMAR LERSKI (1871-1956) Head of a Bedouin * Head of a Tel-Aviv Vagabond. Together, two photographs from the series Arabs and Jews. Silver prints, the images measuring 11 3/8x9 inches (28.9x22.9 cm.), each with Lerski's signature and title, in ink, on verso. 1931-35

        Swann Auction Galleries
      • Helmar Lerski 1871–1956
        Sep. 23, 2020

        Helmar Lerski 1871–1956

        Est: CHF1,000 - CHF1,500

        Helmar Lerski 1871–1956 Metallarbeiter, aus der Serie Köpfe des Alltags unten rechts auf Foto signiert Lerski auf Unterlage-Karton bezeichnet und gewidmet aus der Sammlung Köpfe des Alltags RefCon17920 RefPri17920 RefPho17920

        Artcurial Beurret Bailly Widmer
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